Israeli election too close to call as Netanyahu bids for comeback

Final polls suggest deadlock, but if rightwing alliance keeps slowly gaining, scandal-plagued former PM may scrape in

With polls too close to call the day before Israel holds its fifth election in four years, even minute shifts in voter turnout could make or break the longtime prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comeback attempt, for which he has allied with rightwing extremists.

Israeli politicians were busy making their final campaign pitches on Monday, after Friday's final pre-election polls suggested that neither Netanyahu's rightwing religious bloc, nor the opposing centre-left bloc, would win enough seats to form a government.